By Cheryl Jahn

Election Lower Mainland-centric?

Oct 9, 2020 | 3:53 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The BC election is about two weeks away but who would know it? Campaign signs are few and far between and, while the campaign platforms were released recently, there wasn’t much in them for the North.

“We’ve certainly made a commitment to deal with issues like stumpage. That’s a significant issue,” says incumbent Liberal candidate Shirley Bond. “The NDP had a chance to look at doing that differently and decided not to. So we’re going to deal with that. We’re looking at important issues, like permitting and how we streamline those processes. We’re also going to look at how we get to ‘yes’ on major projects.”

“Well certainly a change in how the annual allowable cut is apportioned so that forest industries and companies that demonstrate they’re going to be creating jobs, they will be getting a portion of the annual allowable cut,” noted Joan Atkinson, candidate for the NDP in Prince George-Mackenzie.

“I would say our platform is a focus for all of British Columbia,” says Mackenzie Kerr, Green candidate for Prince George-Valemount. “We came out with a community resiliency plan yesterday and it touches on all the natural resources. Forestry, agriculture, making sure we have local jobs in local communities.”

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But much like the campaign platforms, much of the battle between the leaders is being fought in the Lower Mainland.

“John Horgan wants to have a majority government,” points out Bond. “So you can imagine that the critical seats that appear to be in play — and I never take anything for granted. Elections are all very different – there is a lot of emphasis on issues that matter in urban parts of British Columbia.”

“Certainly with the population density down there, there are more votes in the Lower Mainland,” says Atkinson. “But there are certainly have been some specific things that the platform has brought out that is going to benefit all of us.”

“If we had a longer election, if we had a regular election, we would have Sonia [Furstenau] up here. For sure,” says Kerr.

But regardless of whether it feels like an election or not, there is a provincial election underway and it’s important to cast a ballot, in whatever form.